Apparatus for dispensing flanged elements from a stack thereof

ABSTRACT

Apparatus is disclosed for dispensing such flanged elements as trays and plates from a stack thereof. The apparatus has a pair of units spaced apart to receive the stack between them and each unit includes a pair of blades vertically spaced by a distance equal to the thickness of the margins of the elements and movable into and out of margin supporting position. Operating means provide a cycle in which the stack is first supported by the upper blades, then by the lower blades, the upper blades then returned to their supporting position and the lower blades retracted to release the lowermost element. When the lowermost elements may adhere to the stack, pry means are provided to become operative when the lower blades are retracted. Fluidpressure and cam-operated embodiments of the apparatus are detailed.

United States Patent [72] Inventor LeoG. Vogel Box 227. Downlngtown, Pa.19335 [2|] Appl. No. 835,362 [22} Filed June 23,1969 [45] Patented Aug.24, 197i [$4] APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING FLANGED ELEMEM'S FROM A STACKTHEREOF 19 Claims, 32 Drawing Figs. [52] U.S.Cl 211/25], 222/298 [5 1]Int. Cl. B651 59/06 [50] Field of 22 H25 1. 273. 274, 295, 297, 223, 298

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.5 89,600 3/l952 Burkholder22 I129! X 2.974.828 3/196] Matteson U 22l/2Sl X 3,l9l.804 6/1965Amic,Sr 22l/25l X Primary Examiner- Lloyd L. King AssistantExaminer-John J. Love ArtorneyAbbott Spear ABSTRACT: Apparatus isdisclosed for dispensing such flanged elements as trays and plates froma stack thereof. The apparatus has a pair of units spaced apart toreceive the stack between them and each unit includes a pair of bladesvertically spaced by a distance equal to the thickness of the mar ginsof the elements and movable into and out of margin supporting position.Operating means provide a cycle in which the stack is first supported bythe upper blades, then by the lower blades, the upper blades thenreturned to their supporting position and the lower blades retracted torelease the lowermost element. when the lowermost elements may adhere tothe stack, pry means are provided to become operative when the lowerblades are retracted. Fluid-pressure and camoperated embodiments of theapparatus are detailed.

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APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING FLANGED ELEMENTS FROM A STACK THEREOF Thepresent invention relates to apparatus for dispensing elements from astack.

While apparatus in accordance with the invention may be used indispensing elements from a stack of any articles where blades may beentered between them without injury to the articles, the invention isherein discussed with particular reference to baking industry problemsarising from the requirements that containers of various sizes, shapes,and constructions be dispensed from a stack onto a conveyor, later to befilled with a food product. Such containers are trays, dishes, pans,cups, and plates, by way of example, and may be made of plastics,aluminum foil, pulp, or combinations thereof and characteristically havemarginal structures by which they may be supported in the form ofaflange or lips, usually having a rolled edge. The elements willhereafter, for convenience, be referred to as trays and their marginalstructures will also subsequently be referred to as flanges. At thistime, it should be noted that while stacks of trays, as delivered to thebakery, are so securely nested that they often tend to adhere to eachother, their marginal structure presents, between each two trays, arecess defining a blade entrance enabling a blade to be forced into aposition underlying a flange without injury to either tray.

The principal objective of the present invention is to providetray-dispensing apparatus taking advantage of that fact, an objectiveattained with apparatus provided with a pair of units spaced apart toreceive the stack of trays between them. Each unit includes a pair ofvertically spaced blades with the distance between them equal to theflange thickness. Each blade of each unit is transversely aligned withand disposed towards the corresponding blade of the other unit andmovable between advanced positions in which corresponding bladesunderlie the flange of a tray and retracted positions in which they aredisengaged therefrom. Means are provided to establish an operating cyclein which both blades of both units are in their operative position withthe stack supported by the upper blades, the upper blades are thenretracted to let the stack drop and be supported by the lower blades,the upper blades are then returned into their stack-supporting positionand, finally, the lower blades are retracted to free the lower mosttray.

Another objective of the invention is to provide, where the lowermosttray may adhere, when the lower blades are retracted, to the bottom ofthe tray held by the upper blades, pry means to dislodge the lowermostplate, the pry means being operated on the retraction of the lowerblades. Yet another objective of the invention is to provide the prymeans with a part operable as a block to prevent lateral movement of atray with one of the lower blades.

Other objectives of the invention are to provide for adjustment of theunits relative to each other as required by tray sizes, the adjustmentof the vertical spacing between the blades of each unit to provide fordifferent flange thickness and the adjustment of the blades relative totheir supporting structure to adjust their operative positions relativeto flange widths.

Another objective of the invention is to provide for cam operation ofthe blades and yet another objective is to effect blade movements byfluid-pressure-operated means.

In the accompanying drawings, there are shown embodi merits of theinvention illustrative ofthese and other of its objectives. novelfeatures, and advantages.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of apparatus in accordance with one embodimentof the invention,

FIG. IA is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines lA-IAof FIG. I,

FIG. 2 is a view of the apparatus as seen from the outfeed end oftheconveyor,

FIGS. 3, 4, and are sections taken approximately along the indicatedlines 33 44, and 5-5, respectively, of FIG, I,

FIG. 6 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines 6-6 ofFIG. 3,

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the stack of trays supported by theupper blades,

FIG. 8 is a like view showing the stack supported by the lower blades,

FIG. 9 is a like view showing the return of the upper blades to againsupport the tray stack,

FIG. 10 is a like view with the lower blades retracted and the pry bladeactuated to ensure the release of the lowermost tray,

FIG. I] is a view of another embodiment of the invention as seen fromthe outfeed end of the conveyor,

FIG. I2 is a fragmentary view of the apparatus showing, on an increasedscale, the blade actuating means of the unit on its right hand side, asviewed in FIG. 11,

FIG. 13 is a view of the blade actuating means as seen from the sameposition as the apparatus is seen in FIG. 11 with the stack of trayssupported by the lower blades,

FIG. 14 is a like view but with the stack of trays supported by thelower blades,

FIG. I5 is another like view but with the upper blades returned intotheir stack-supporting position,

FIG. 16 is yet another like view showing the lower blades retracted andthe lowermost tray released,

FIG. 17 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines l7-17ofFIG. I1,

FIG. I8 is a section taken approximately along the indicated linesI8I8ofFIG. ll,

FIG. 18A is a view taken approximately along the indicated lines l8l8 ofFIG. 7 but in the opposite direction to show the upper blades and bladeactuating means of one of the units,

FIG. I9 is a somewhat schematic view of the control system,

FIG. 20 is a top plan view of apparatus in accordance with anotherembodiment ofthe invention,

FIG. 21 is a view thereof as seen from the outfeed end of the conveyor,

FIG. 22 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines 22-22of FIG. 2],

FIG. 23 is a fragmentary and partly sectioned view of the right handunit as the apparatus is viewed in FIG. 21 with the upper blade insupport ofa stack of trays,

FIG. 24 is a like view but with the upper blade retracted and the stacksupported by the lower blade,

FIG. 25 is a like view showing the upper blade returned into itsstack'supporting position,

FIG. 26 is another like view but with the lower blade retracted,

FIG. 27 is a schematic view showing a stack of trays of a type requiringthe blades to be spaced apart vertically a substantial distance, thestack being supported by the upper blade,

FIG. 28 is a like view but with the stack supported by the lower blades,

FIG. 29 is a like view but showing the return of the upper blades, and

FIG. 30 is a like view but with the lower blades retracted and the pryblades actuated.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by FIGS. 1 I0, supports20 and 21 are located on opposite sides of the conveyor 22. The base 23ofa first generally indicated unit 24 is secured to the support 20 as bybolts 25 and the base 26 of a second generally indicated unit 27 is alsosecured to the sup port 21 by bolts 28 but with the support 2[ havingslots 29 through which the bolts 28 extend thereby to enable the unit 27to be moved towards or away from the unit 24 as required by the size andshape of the trays being dispensed and to be secured in such adjustedposition. In FIG. I the apparatus is shown with the units spaced asrequired for dispensing trays 30 but adjustable for use in dispensingtrays of larger sizes such as that indicated at 30A.

The units 24 and 27 are substantially identical so that both will not bedetailed except as to different features. The

1. Apparatus for dispensing elements from a stack thereof, the elementsbeing of the type having flanges between which blades may be inserted,said apparatus comprising a pair of units spaced apart to receive theelements between them, each unit including upper and lower blades, andmeans separately connecting the upper and lower blades to theappropriate units with the distance between them equal to the flangethickness of an elemEnt and with corresponding blades of the units beingtransversely aligned with and disposed towards each other and movablebetween advanced operative positions in which they underlie the flangeof an element and retracted inoperative positions in which they aredisengaged therefrom, and means in control of the blades providing thatthe upper and lower blades of both units are first operativelypositioned with the stack supported by the upper blades, the upperblades are retracted to permit the stack to drop and be supported by thelower blades, the upper blades are again operatively positioned andfinally the lower blades are retracted to release the lowermost element,the upper blade of at least one of the units including a transverselypivoted intermediate section yieldably held in alignment with the lowerblade thereof, and means connected to and movable with the lower bladethereof and operable to pivot said section as an elementreleasing prywhen the lower blades are retracted.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 inwhich the lower blade includes sections that are spaced apart by adistance such that the pry blade section may swing downwardly betweenthem.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the pry blade sectionincludes a stop member on its undersurface that is exposed forengagement by a tray if it adheres to the lower blade as the lower bladeis retracted.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which each upper bladeincludes a depending stop exposed for engagement by a tray if it adheresto a lower blade as the lower blades are retracted.
 5. The apparatus ofclaim 1 in which the upper blade of at least one of the units includes atransversely pivoted section provided with a rearward, downwardlydisposed cam portion, and the lower blade includes an upwardly disposedcam portion coacting with the cam portion of the upper blade section asthe lower blade is retracted thereby to pivot the upper blade section asan element-releasing pry.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the pryblade section is counterweighted.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 and springmeans yieldably urging the pry blade section into alignment with theremainder of the upper blade.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which theblade control means includes cam carried by each unit, one for eachblade and including a driving connection with the other, each bladeincludes a cam follower in operative engagement with the appropriate oneof the cams, a driving connection between corresponding cams of the twounits, one unit is adjustable towards and away from the other unit, thedriving connection includes a shaft consisting of telescopic sections ofa mating noncircular section.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 in which thedriving connection includes a shaft, a gear on each end of said shaft,said shaft having an elongated keyway for one of said gears, and saidone gear including a part entrant of said keyway.
 10. The apparatus ofclaim 1 in which the means in control of the blades includefluid-pressure-operated devices, one for each blade and connectedthereto, a source of fluid under pressure, and means to connect saiddevices to said source in predetermined order.
 11. The apparatus ofclaim 9 in which the fluid pressure devices are double-actingpiston-cylinder units.
 12. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the pistonof each unit is adjustably connected to the appropriate one of theblades.
 13. The apparatus of claim 10 and bleeder valves for eachdevice, and cam means for operating the bleeder valves in apredetermined manner.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12 and an air motorincluding a drive for the cams operating the bleeder valves.
 15. Theapparatus of claim 1 in which each unit includes upper and lowerslideways and the blades include mounts, one slidable in the upperslideway and one slidable in the lower slideway, one of the slideways ismovable relative to the other to vary the spacing of the blades, andadjustable means limits the extent to which the slideways may moveToward each other.
 16. The apparatus of claim 14 in which one of theslideways of each unit is pivoted at its rear to swing upwardly anddownwardly relative to the other slideway of that unit, and a threadedconnection between first portions of the slideways is operable toestablish and maintain the desired spacing between the blades.
 17. Theapparatus of claim 16 in which the base includes vertical walls havinglengthwise, transversely aligned slots and the slidable unit includessupports extending through the slots.
 18. The apparatus of claim 1 inwhich each unit includes a reciprocable member for each blade and eachblade is connected thereto to enable its operative position to beadvanced or retracted.
 19. The apparatus of claim 1 in which each unitincludes a reciprocable member for each blade and each blade isconnected thereto to enable its operative position to be advanced orretracted to enable its vertical position to be varied.